Process and apparatus for the recovery of float metal from water containing the same.



FI@ l.

J. H. REED.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE RECOVERY OF FLOAT METAL FROM WAT APLIcATloH FILED JULY 25. i911.

3 CUNTMNING T SRWE,

inventor 1. H. REED. Y PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE RECUVERY 0F FKL'OATMETAI. FROM WATER APPLICATION FILED JULY 25| Tgl. 1,262,984. Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

` 2 SHEETS*SHEET2.

f Il 1 'IM' 'H lill coNTlNmG THE SAME;

'is a longitudinal sectional JAMES HARRIS EEED, 0E PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PnocEss AND APPAnATiIs Specification of Letters I a'tent Eon THE nEoovEnr 0E -rLoAT METAL Enola WATER coNTArNING THE. sAavr'E.

' Patent-ea Apr. 16, 191s.

Application 1ed-Jn1y 25, 1917. Serial No. 182,639.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES of' Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have inyented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes and'v Apparatus for. the Recovery of Float Metal from Water Containing the Same, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My process relates to the recovery of gold or other precious metal from Water containing the saine, by means-of flotation, and relates more particularly to the maintenance of a stratum of oil in fixed suspension upon and over a moying body of water containing float metal with provision of means whereby the water is deflected up against the overlying srrface of the oil in such a way that the precious metal floating therein is caught and retained by the oil. 'Io this end it involves means for conducting and controlling a constant flow of the water and means for maintaining a stratum of oil in suspension thereover.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I,

view of an apparatus embodying my invention and suitable for the practice of my process.

Fig. II, is a cross section along the line II, II, of Fig. I.

. Fig. III, is a detail sectional view of one of the riflie strips.

Fig. IV, is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified apparatus for practising the same process under conditions where a larger body of water is to be handled.

Referring to Fig. I, at the right hand end of the apparatus as shown inthe drawings, is a feed chamber l, into which water containing float metal is discharged, as by a trough l2, which preferably leads from a settling tank, in order that the water may first rbe freed from sediment. rI`he feed chamber is separated by a trap partition 3, from upfiow compartment 4, the rate of the flow of the water through the apparatus being to some extent controlled by the space between the bottom of partition 3, and the HARRIS REED,

:bottoms of the chambers l, and 4. The upilow compartment communicates with a continuous passage-way 5, the length of which depends upon the nature and quantity of the material to be treated. This passageway leads to anddischarges into a discharge and deiiect the water, causing around the same.

.by vertical baffles 12,

receptacle 6, The discharge receptacle is fitted with an outflow aperture 8, the height of the water therein being controlled by the overow partition 9, which is adjustable in height by means of. al pin and slot connection controlled by the wedge handles 10.

At intervals along the bottom of the passage-way 5, there are placed racks or pegs or riffle strips, in such a way as to agitate the same to pass in comparatively thin films over and These devices may vary in character, a suitable device being shown on an enlarged scale in Fig. III, which represents in cross section an upturned metal riiile strip which is suitable for accomplishV ing the purpose. These strips reach almost to the lower surface of the oil, compellingin a thin film in clos?` all of the water toi-low proximity to the overlying oil.

Upon the surface of the water flowing through the passage-way is 30, preferably a suitableliietroleum distillate of suiiicient depth to maintain@ c'nstant body of the same lying over tlie"'entire''si1r face of the water in the passage-way"l It is in order to maintain this stratum of oil in permanent .suspension in the desired position that the trap portitions 3, and 7, are provided guarding the inflow and outflow of the water and preventing the oil from being discharged from over the water at either end.

In case the passage-way is of a considerable length any creeping of the oil along with the flow of the water may be prevented mounted across the passage-way and reaching down below' the surface of the water and therefore 'completely holding back the overlying layer of oil.

In the operation of my process the overflow partition 9, is initially adjusted at a height to maintain the water in the passageway at a depth which is found to be most suitable for the practice of my process. The water containing float metal is then introduced into the feed chamber and after flowing through the passage-way 5, is discharged from the discharge receptacle 6L During this progress along the passage-way, the watcris constantly agitated and deflected upward against the lower surface of the overlying body of oil thus bringing the divided by a trap partition 7.

a body of oill l.

deflected upwardly into contact with the lower surface of a stratum of oil in fixed suspension upon a body of water.

In'Fig. IV, of the drawings, a somewhat similar apparatus is shown tor practising the same process. In this ease the feeding,

chamber 11, is deeper in order to hold a larger body of liquid and the trap partition 13, does not reach to so near the bottom of the receptacle. This apparatusis therefore suitable for operation with a much larger flow oi water, as in the case of placer mining where al large low of liquid may be utilized in my process. rl`he passage-way 15, is interrupted by a series of baiiies 19, reaching a considerable distance from the bottom of the passage-way and thus deilecting upward the large body of water passing through the apparatus. vBetween each baille plate 19, is mounted transversely a strip 22, reaching from the top of the passage-way down well below the surface of the water flowing therethrough. These act as auX- iliary traps and serve along with the trap partition 13, to hold in place the stratum of oil res/ting upon the surface of the water passing" through the passage-way toward the end partit-ion 18, over which the water is discharged.

It will be observed that the top of each successive battle strip 19, is slightly lower, thereby occasioning a step by step decrease in the level of the water in the passage-way which in tuin/may be taken up by corresponding inclination of the bottom of the passage-way, th-us admitting a larger' and freer ow of water through the apparatus. But each ofthe bafie strips 19, reaches almost to the cil, so that water is compelled to iow in a thin lm in close Contact with the overlying oil.

. The process as practised in this modified form of apparatus is substantially the same Lacasse as that which I have already describedwith the exception that the apparatus is upon a scale and of a. character calculated to handle a largeriiow of liquid, and the shape and position of the battles 19, and 22, are such as to permit the body of oil to lie .so close to the body of water passing beneath as to ad mit a change of level in the lower surface of the body of oil with each of the baffle strips 19. Under these circumstances the body of water as it flows beneath the oil is deflected upward by the baille-stri ps 1) causing a wave-like agitation and bringing a. thin film of the metal-carrying water into Contact with the oil as the water passes over each successive partition.

Itwill be understood that my process is capable of being carried on in apparatus of various forms of construction and is not confined to the forms of apparatus which I have described although they are those which I have found to be most suitable for its practice.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1.- The process of recovering float metal from a moving body of water which consists in maintaining a stratum ot' oil in fixed suspension upon said moving body of water and .deiieeting the Heat metal in the under-- flowlng water up against the overlying oil.

2, An apparatus for recovering iioat` metal from water, which comprises a waterway; means for maintaining a low there through of water carrying float metal; a ,stratum of oil overlying the flowing water; trap partitions reaching below the surface of the water and trapping the oil, whereby the stratum of oil is maintained in fixed suspension upon the underowing water; and baffle strips reaching up from the bottom of the watereway almost to the oil, whereby a' thin lin of water is caused to flow over said baffle strips bringing the iioat metal which itlcarries into contacty with the overlying o1 In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia. Pennsyl` vania, this twenty-fourth day oit July. 1917.

JAMES HRBIS REED. lVitnesses JAMES H. BELL, E. L. FULLERTON. 

